The Post Card
One of the best things about the Internet is that it allows one to behave as a doddery old dear in the name of advanced microtechnology. Viz: I have just uploaded a selection of my vast and labyrinthine postcard collection, wonkily scanned, onto flickr for your delectation, something that may elicit the sort of groan usually emitted when asked if you want to see the holiday snaps. Obtained mainly from markets, junk shops and what have you, lots of them are in the Martin Parr 'boring' vein: Heathrow, Milton Keynes, Birmingham etc. There are, unsurprisingly some of the Eastern Bloc, and some are of the saucy seaside variety. What I am looking for is some sort of conjunction of the three things into saucy boring Eastern bloc postcards, and one day I will find one that fits that description. Until then, gather round my darlings and look at these with me. There's lots more where that came from...
posted by owen hatherley at 3:44 pm
6 Comments:
Terrific! I'm particularly fond of Leipzig and "Cornwall in Miniature".
I have a small but select collection of boring mainland Chinese postcards from second-tier industrial cities, most of which show buses trundling down empty roads under heavily touched-up blue skies. Endearingly, a tremendous number of them have banks of artificial flowers in the foreground, inserted by some clever pre-Photoshop means. They're very satisfying just as objects, printed on a thick, soft cardstock in gorgeously inauthentic summer-morning colors. (Although, oddly, Dalian really looks like that. I got the shock of my life when I visited.)
Interesting to see the seaside ones; I'd read the little Orwell essay on the genre but never--being in the US and all--actually seen any.
(I enjoy this blog very much; thanks.)
Bring 'em on! I can't tell you how much I covet the Cornwall in Miniature one. I bought a stack of (new) boring postcards of Bo'ness high street the other day, thinking someone might appreciate them. Do you want one?
Oh yes.
I might get put a few more up then: there's a caravan park one in particular that I can't believe I forgot the first time...
I may have some small cardboard things to give you upon my return!
delightful! I too collect postcards from charity shops and such, and all manner of odd postcards. You cannot beat a bit of art or an idea of a time or place put on a small, cheap, sturdy bit of paper. If you give me your address I will send some lovely and unique post cards from California for your collection.
That'd be marvellous: email me (top-right hand corner) and I'll give you my address...
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